QE2 Debuts As Floating Hotel

Another date in history Cunard has confirmed that the long awaited opening of former Cunard flagship QE2 as a floating hotel in Dubai was just this week on the 18th April .An event to mark the opening of the first phase of the new hotel coincided with the arrival in the port of Cunard’s current flagship, Queen Mary 2.Those guests on board were one of the first to view the refurbed ship .
The last time the ship set sail was leaving Southampton in 2008 to Dubai where she has been permanently docked at Mina Rashid where recently undergoing a refurb.

Over the past 10 years the ocean liner has sat idle in Dubai. Radical plans to transform the ship into a resort came and went. There was even a proposal to slice off the funnel and replace it with a penthouse suite.

The company which has the hotel is owned by the Dubai government has been bringing the ship back to life restoring to her former glory and revitalized with all the latest in smart technology.

A company spokesman said 224 of the 800 rooms are ready for business converting the cabins to rooms and suites with the remainder expected to be completed by October. Keeping some memorabilia and paintings in the renovation.

Guests will enter the ship from a terminal which has been turned into a maritime museum featuring artworks from the ship, which was sold by Cunard to Dubai government investment company Istithmar World in 2007.

Will it last as long as its Cunard predecessor, Queen Mary? That liner has now spent much longer as a static tourist attraction in Long Beach, California, than it spent carrying passengers across the Atlantic.

Finally the ship is reopening. With prices from £100 a night, that’s a steal in Dubai !!!

What do you think ? Is this somewhere you would stay whilst visiting Dubai ?

We managed to get these photos first hand


About Me

Hi my name is Erica although most people know me as Betsy which is my work name, welcome to my cruise page. I  have been in the travel industry for coming up to 30 years. I started my career in a small independent travel agent, where I went on work experience and…

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